Virtual charges alter material responses to light

In a discovery that bridges the quantum and macroscopic worlds, scientists have demonstrated that the fleeting existence of “virtual” particles within a material can be manipulated to alter its interaction with light. This breakthrough, which confirms a long-theorized quantum effect, opens the door to engineering materials with dynamically controllable optical properties, potentially leading to new … Read more

Coexisting magnetic states in 2D material promise energy-saving memory chips

Researchers have developed an atomically thin material where two opposing magnetic forces can coexist, a breakthrough that promises to reduce the energy consumption of memory chips by a factor of 10. A team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden engineered a single two-dimensional crystal that unites ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, properties that previously could only … Read more

3D simulations demonstrate true steady state in turbulent plasma

A breakthrough in computational physics has solved a decades-old problem in plasma science by achieving the first-ever true steady state in a simulation of plasma turbulence. Using advanced 3D Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations, researchers have created a stable, self-sustaining virtual environment that mimics the chaotic, superheated state of matter that constitutes over 99% of the visible … Read more